It's a Mad World
by Aguachica
Summary: Solitaire tries to gain the trust of the newsies. Sequel to The Name Game.
1. Prologue

It's a Mad World  
  
By Aguachica  
  
Disclaimer: I do not known Newsies. I do own John/Solitaire. He's mine, though that freaks him out to no end every time he reads one of these disclaimers.  
  
~~~  
  
"So, you'se made a move yet?" Kid Blink leaned closer to his friend, Solitaire. Solitaire laughed at his friend's eagerness.  
  
"Yeah. I'se talked to them a bit, but they don't think I'se serious."  
  
Mush looked puzzled. "Serious about what?" He asked, his face crinkling into a confused look.  
  
Solitaire glared at Blink. "I thought you told him all about it."  
  
Blink shrugged. "I did once. I guess I can tell him again. Now Mush, since John became Solitaire, he's been a real Newsie. He want's to be the next leader of Manhattan."  
  
Mush blinked. "But wouldn't Jack not like that?"  
  
"That's why we has to get Jack out of the way! We has to get all the other newsies to help us, and maybe Jack can go off, get a real job, and marry that girl of his."  
  
"You mean Sarah?"  
  
Blink slapped Mush upside the head. "No, you bonehead! Sarah and Jack broke up last year; don't you know anything? He's been seeing this one girl, I think her name is Andy."  
  
Solitaire frowned. "Isn't Andrew a boy's name?"  
  
"It is, but she ain't named Andrew. Andy's short for Adriane, or something like that."  
  
Solitaire interrupted. "As much as I'd like to discuss Jack's girl, I really need to know what to do about leading Manhattan."  
  
"Well, you'se could ask everyone what it would take to make them make you their leader." Mush suggested.  
  
Solitaire looked excited. "That's a crazy, complicated idea that will take a lot of time, but-"  
  
"Sorry. I'se a bonehead."  
  
"But it might just work! Let's go! I think we'll start with Racetrack. He's always been real nice."  
  
THE MUSES SPEAK!  
  
Aguachica: Wow, that was a long break!  
  
Blink!muse: If you have any suggestions for Aguachica, e-mail them to her at bobcat87@dc.rr.com.  
  
Mush!muse: She is looking for suggestions about little chores John could do for various newsies to convince them that he would be a good leader.  
  
John!muse: Gee, I've got a new name! Solitaire. Except Aguachica keeps forgetting and writing John instead.  
  
Aguachica: Old habits die hard. Now review! Pretty Please? 


	2. How do you beat a Master?

It's a Mad World  
  
Chapter Two: How do you beat a Master? By cheating, of course.  
  
Solitaire walked into the bunkroom. Blink and Mush started to follow him, but Solitaire held them back.  
  
"No. Race's my friend. I think that he'll accept it better if I trust him a bit and talk to him on my own."  
  
Blink smirked. "Good idea. Not a bright one, one that's sure to get you killed if you lives to be leader, but a good one. That's the way to win trust, by giving it!"  
  
Mush looked a little confused but, after seeing Blink's smile, he followed his friend's example and gave Solitaire a grin and a clap on the back, which almost sent him stumbling through the door. Blink patted Mush's head.  
  
"Don't mind Mushee, he don't know his own strength."  
  
Solitaire grinned at them both and stepped into the room. Racetrack was, surprisingly enough, sitting there alone, playing solitaire. He looked up when Solitaire entered the room.  
  
"Hey, buddy. Pull up a chair!" Solitaire gladly obliged. He wasn't really sure how to start.  
  
Racetrack gave him his usual tired grin. "You looks worried. What's up?"  
  
Solitaire decided to go for a direct approach. "I want to become leader of Manhattan. Blink and Mush say that I'll have to win everyone's support. How can I do that?"  
  
"I likes ya, and you'd make a good leader. So I'se gonna make this easy for ya. We'll play three rounds of poker. Two out of three wins."  
  
Solitaire gulped. Race was an expert poker player, and he had no chance whatsoever of winning. But again, it was a game of luck, and it was possible that he'd get lucky. He spat in his hand and held it out to Race.  
  
"Deal?"  
  
Race spit on his own hand and they shook hands vigorously. "Deal."  
  
Race dealt the cards. Solitaire almost groaned out loud when he saw his hand: Two twos, one three, one seven, and a king. Racetrack glanced up at him. Solitaire shrugged.  
  
Race laid his cards down. He had a full house. Solitaire laid his rather wimpy hand down. Racetrack gave him a smirk.  
  
"Next hand?"  
  
Solitaire shrugged. It couldn't get much worse, could it?  
  
It could. He looked at his new hand: A two, a six, a seven, a jack, and an Ace. Racetrack had a telltale smirk on his face. The laid down their cards. Race had a large straight.  
  
Race glanced at him. "D'you still want to play the last hand? We both knows who's gonna to win this game."  
  
Solitaire knew that they had agreed on three games. But Race was offering him a way to lessen the humiliation. Should he take it?  
  
Solitaire gave Race a sad smile and shook his head. "We agreed on three games, and we're going to play three games."  
  
Racetrack beamed. "Excellent." Then they had another hand, with Solitaire losing as spectacularly as the last two times. He stood up, shaking Race's hand.  
  
"Good game, Race. And I would have loved having you help me."  
  
"And I'se happy to."  
  
Solitaire paused in midstep, losing his balance and falling to the floor. Race laughed and helped him up.  
  
"I said, I'se happy to support you. You didn't back out, even when you had the chance. I admire that and I'se happy to help you become Manhattan leader.  
  
John grinned. With Race backing him up, how could he fail?  
  
SHOUTOUTS:  
  
TO HOT SHOT RYOM:  
  
John!muse: As you noticed, I used your idea and ended up losing three times. Thanks.  
  
Aguachica: *whaps John!muse* It's your own fault you can't play poker. Now be nice to the nice reviewer.  
  
TO BROOKLYNGRL:  
  
Aguachica: Thanks for reviewing! My brain is starting to get back on track and think of ideas!  
  
Blink!muse: What do you mean? You have a fever and your brain cells are frying even as we speak!  
  
Aguachica: That's what I said, isn't it?  
  
Mush!muse: But you said your brain was working, but your brain cells are really frying. . . Oh. I get it.  
  
TO KIDBLINKGURL:  
  
Aguachica: I'm glad you like it!  
  
Blink!muse: I'm scared of her name. . .  
  
Aguachica: Get used to it before I take you to meet the Kid Blink fan club.  
  
Blink!muse: Eep!  
  
TO T-R-US:  
  
Aguachica: I don't get it. . .  
  
Blink!muse: She has a one Racetrack mind, get it?  
  
Race!muse: Not funny.  
  
Aguachica: Don't mind him. He's still grumpy about me throwing him to a group of Racetrack fangirls when he wouldn't let me win at poker.  
  
TO NAKAIA AIDAN-SUN:  
  
Aguachica: Whoa, you wrote "Just Fooling Around", didn't you?  
  
Blink!muse: *rolls eye* She loves that story.  
  
Mush!muse: Almost as much as she loves, "One Long Night".  
  
Aguachica: As a fellow slash writer, I congratulate you. My slash account is "Bobcat:slashgoil". Keep writing! 


End file.
